


Coffeeshop Aromas

by zynnser



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-28
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-23 20:11:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6128698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zynnser/pseuds/zynnser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaneki should have known something was up when Hide didn't complain about Touka not being the one to fill his order. <i>A cappuccino made by the cutest barista</i> indeed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coffeeshop Aromas

**Author's Note:**

> Remember when everyone was happy and no one was dead? Me neither, but maybe this story will help. It's shameless fluff set way way back at the beginning of the series. This fic is brought to you by my undying love of cheesy tropes I picked up in the Teen Wolf fandom and my love/hate relationship with foodservice work. That said it is unbeta'ed, so any mistakes are solely my responsibility and I do apologize.

_Hell_ did not even come close to describing the horror of Kaneki’s first few days of work at Anteiku.

Yoshimura must have been in a bad mood that first morning, because he decided - in all his ancient ghoul wisdom - that since Touka had been the one to find Kaneki and bring him to the shop, Touka would be the one to train him. After the second day Kaneki seriously considered quitting and taking his chances on his own as a ghoul in the 20th ward. Even with his horrible track record he seriously considered doing it, but the coffee was just too damn good.

Also, the manager would probably assign Touka the job of dragging him back.

While Kaneki shadowed Touka, there wasn’t an order he couldn’t mess up or a customer he didn’t misidentify. The number of times she stopped him from dropping regular sugar cubes into a ghoul’s coffee reached embarrassing heights before the end of his first day, and didn’t get any better on the second.

If he’d ever stopped and thought about what it would be like to work in a cafe, Kaneki would have assumed that the routine didn’t change much from day to day and that the customers always ordered off the menu. Granted, he was half right; the daily routine never changed all that much, but dear lord, the _customers_.

“Hey,” snapped an irritated man sitting by the window, waving his hand violently in an attempt to flag down a server. Definitely a human, Kaneki decided, because no ghoul would ever be that rude in the shop run by the district leadership. “I’ve been waiting here for _ten minutes_ and no one has been by to take my order!”

Setting his tray of dirty cups down behind the serving counter, Kaneki hurried over to the table. “I’m sorry, sir. What can I help you with?”

“Not _you_ ,” the man said dismissively. “I want the girl who was over here earlier.”

Feeling heat rising in his cheeks in a mixture of embarrassment at being called out and anger at the obvious discrepancy, Kaneki bowed politely. “I’m sorry. Of course I’ll get her right away.”

“You’d better,” grumbled the man as Kaneki turned away, heading back to the server area where Touka was measuring beans for an order.

“Touka-chan,” Kaneki said, keeping his voice low as he walked over to stand next to her. “The gentleman by the window would like to speak with you.”

Touka looked up at the man in question and snorted. “Of course he would. He comes here every week at the same time and demands that I serve him, fucking pervert.” Setting down the cup and bean container, Touka moved over to the sink to wash her hands. “You’ll finish measuring out the beans right? It’s for an espresso.”

Without waiting for a reply, Touka walked out from behind the serving counter, heading over to the belligerent man by the window with a smile. Kaneki frowned, looking down at the bag, canister, and grinder setup Touka had left him. Even if he did know what weight of beans was used to make an espresso - which he didn’t - Kaneki would have been wary of messing up her system.

“Um,” Kaneki started as Touka walked away from the disgruntled customer and back towards the serving area, “I don’t know-”

“Of course you don’t,” Touka said despairingly, reclaiming her spot in front of the scale. “It’s fifteen grams for a double, remember that. And go get me a ham and cheddar sandwich from the back for the _gentleman_ at table three.”

Kaneki nodded and headed into the back to retrieve the requested sandwich. Touka had, thankfully, shown him where the sandwiches and other cold items on the menu were kept his first day on the job, so locating the food and arranging it on a plate wasn’t a difficult task.

Emerging from the back room, Kaneki presented the plate to Touka. “I think things will go more smoothly if you give it to him.”

Touka sighed in the way that meant she agreed with him but didn’t want to say it out loud. Kaneki was getting better at interpreting her sighs, although he wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Touka took the plate and walked over to where the man was tapping his fingers impatiently against the tabletop. He accepted the food with a smile that morphed into a leer as soon as Touka turned her back.

Returning to the safety of the counter, Touka made a face at him while the man couldn’t see. “Men are such pigs,” she muttered under her breath as she took the measured beans and started grinding them. “I hope he gets eaten.”

Kaneki just nodded, deciding not to say anything lest he incur her righteous fury. After all, she wasn’t wrong about this guy, and Hide did the same thing every time he came in, so Kaneki didn’t really have a leg to stand on.

Speaking of the devil, the bell above the door rang and Hide walked in, making his way over to a table in the corner and dropping his bag on the floor by his chair. He waved excitedly and Kaneki sighed, heading over to the newly occupied table and wondering if he could prevent Hide from trying to hit on Touka and save both of them from a gruesome death via ghoul ingestion.

“Kaneki!” Hide greeted, grinning brightly up at his friend. “I heard you were working here so I couldn’t help but want to stop by and say hello.”

“You could have done that sometime when we weren’t busy with customers,” Kaneki pointed out.

“You wound me,” Hide said theatrically, clasping his hands over his heart. “I am a customer! A poor under appreciated research assistant who is always in need of money, but I am still a paying customer!”

Kaneki couldn’t help but smile a little at Hide’s dramatics. If there were one thing he could always count on it was Hide’s relentless attempts to cheer him up, especially when he sensed that Kaneki was starting to feel overwhelmed and pressured.

“So what is this customer going to order?” Kaneki asked, his voice mockingly serious as he played along with Hide’s game.

“A cappuccino, of course, made by the cutest barista,” Hide said, beaming up at Kaneki. “It’s like you don’t even know me.”

“One cappuccino, for the loud blond customer in the corner,” Kaneki monotoned, miming writing something on an invisible pad. “Any other requests today?”

Grinning impishly, Hide motioned for Kaneki to bend down. Obligingly, Kaneki leaned in to listen to what Hide had to say. Cupping his hand around his mouth, Hide whispered, “And do you think you could have your adorable coworker deliver it for me? Touka-chan is unbelievably cute in that uniform.”

Kaneki pulled back abruptly. “Hi-Hide-! Please don’t.”

Hide waved off his reaction, his face easing into a more neutral expression. “Relax, I’m not delusional like you; I know when someone is out of my league. Besides, I just want to say thank you to my guardian angel, since she was the one who pulled us out of the car crash.”

“Car crash...?”

“Yeah, the one that landed Nishio-sempai in the hospital?” Hide prodded.

Kaneki flushed, embarrassed that he’d forgotten the cover story for Nishio’s attack on them so quickly. “Ah, yeah. Sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. I’ll get her to come over.”

Hide saluted, and Kaneki retreated to the counter where he pulled out the canister of beans and the scale to measure out the correct amount for Hide’s cappuccino. “Touka-chan,” he said, getting her attention from where she was drying cups and storing them back on the shelves. “A cappuccino uses a shot of espresso, so it’s seven grams?”

“Eight. The roast the manager has us use is particularly strong, but our customers enjoy the flavor. And the steamed milk is over there,” she said, gesturing towards a specialized container at the far end of the counter.

“Thanks” Kaneki said, putting the freshly measured beans through the grinder. “Hide would like to thank you for your help during the accident, when you have time.”

Touka nodded, picking up the now empty dish rack and carrying it over to its storage shelf. “We’ll take the drink over, when it’s ready.”

“Okay,” Kaneki agreed, returning his focus to the task at hand. He might still be learning how to brew coffee to Anteiku’s exacting standards, but he could at least make a cappuccino the way Hide liked.

Once Kaneki had finished plating and garnishing the cup, arranging it so that the respectable attempt at a foam cat and spoon were pointed in the same direction, he handed it over to Touka. Taking the drink, she straightened up and put on her serving face, leading the way to the corner table Hide had claimed as his.

“One cappuccino,” she said, setting it down in front of Hide and stepping back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Kaneki.

“Thank you,” Hide said, standing and turning to face her. “And thank you,” he said again, giving a formal bow before sitting back down. Hide glanced at the foam cat design on the cappuccino and his face softened, then morphed into a rakish grin. “Every man should be so lucky to have a such lady in shining armor, right Kaneki? Would my lady in shining armor be willing to accept the gift of food? Maybe a dinner?”

“ _Hide_ ,” Kaneki hissed, resisting the urge to cover his face with his hand. This was exactly what he’d been worried about when his friend had come in.

Touka blushed a little, but she didn’t stammer or run away like she had the first time Hide had accosted her. “It was our pleasure to have you here while you were recovering, but if you want dinner, you should definitely order something from your friend.”

“So cold, Touka-chan,” Hide said, grinning even as he clutched at his heart in mock pain. Touka snorted, not deigning to reply as she turned and headed back towards the serving counter.

Kaneki lingered a little longer. “Hide, please don’t make training under her any more difficult than it already is.”

“I am distraught that you would imply working with such a fierce goddess is a trial,” Hide said, his tone still over the top and teasing. Kaneki gave him a pleading look, willing him to understand how rough the last few days had been for him. Dropping the melodramatic act, Hide’s eyes turned serious. “Don’t worry, we’re on the same page. Now go do your work.” Kaneki stared incredulously at the hand Hide was gesturing with. “Go. Shoo. You don’t want to get fired in your first week.”

“Yeah, okay,” Kaneki said with a smile. “Enjoy your coffee.”

“Of course I will,” Hide said quietly as Kaneki walked away. “It was brewed by my guardian angel.”

Kaneki rejoined Touka behind the counter. “I’m sorry about his... ah, persistence,” Kaneki mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up as he apologized for his friend’s inappropriate behavior.

Touka turned to give him an unimpressed stare, then startled and flushed slightly when she saw his embarrassment. “It’s fine,” she said eventually, her shoulders tensing as she turned away to make minute adjustments to the stack of saucers. “We have an understanding.”

Kaneki wasn’t sure what to make of it, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and just went with it. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll take care of him today then.”

Touka gave an amused snort, although Kaneki failed to see what was so funny. “You do that. But first, come with me.”

Kaneki followed Touka into the back room where they kept the restock and some of the ingredients for hot dishes that had to be made to order. It took her a few seconds to turn around to face him, and if he didn’t know better Kaneki would have thought she was trying to regain her composure.

“You need to talk to him, but don’t let him find out,” she said, catching Kaneki’s eyes and not letting him look away, as though she could imprint the importance of her message with the power of her mind.

“Wh-what?” Kaneki stammered, completely blindsided by the sudden topic change. “I don’t-”

“Your friend, you need to talk to him,” Touka reiterated. “This is where the 20th ward ghouls come to gather and there’s an implicit rule about not eating the customers here so as not to raise suspicion, but you know as well as anyone that it doesn’t always hold. And there’s no accounting for the citizens of other wards. So. Watch out for your friend.”

“But how?” Kaneki asked, bewildered. “Unless I tell him how-”

“You can’t tell him,” Touka interrupted, leaning forward and managing to loom over him despite her smaller stature. “If he finds out about us, I’ll kill him myself. I’d have done it before, but. The manager likes people.”

“I thought you had an understanding?” Kaneki said, confusion coloring his voice.

Touka straightened and sighed, “Not about _that_ , obviously; figure it out for yourself if you want to know. Let’s get back to work, I need to make a tuna melt, so I’m going to show you how to use the sandwich press.”

“Okay,” Kaneki agreed, refocusing his attention on his job rather than puzzling over Touka’s vague instructions.

The rest of the day went smoothly, for a given definition of smooth. Hide didn’t stay long, claiming he had work to get to, and Kaneki had seen him out with a cheerful wave and a strongly worded reminder to stay safe. Touka’s genial mood seemed to vanish with Hide though, because she spent the rest of the shift nitpicking everything Kaneki did from how he wiped down the tables to the angle at which he poured the hot water into the coffee grinds. By the time they were closing the shop down for the night, Kaneki felt like he’d been through the wringer.

“Don’t forget to take the trash out to the dumpster. The _left_ dumpster. The right one is for recycle.”

“Is that the last thing?” Kaneki asked warily, hoping desperately that Touka would say yes.

“I think so, but I need to do one last sweep to make sure, so come back in when you’re done,” Touka said, tying off the bag and handing it to Kaneki.

“Okay,” he replied, taking the trash from her and tottering out the back door under the unfamiliar weight.

Dumpster successfully located and trash properly disposed of, Kaneki went back inside and stood quietly by the door to the upper floor, waiting for Touka’s pronouncement.

“It looks clean,” she said, rounding the corner and walking over to stand by Kaneki. “You can go. And don’t forget to talk to your friend.”

“I, ah, won’t,” Kaneki replied, trying to hide his surprise at Touka mentioning Hide. “Thanks.”

“Hmph,” Touka snorted. “Don’t thank me. Just take care of it, okay? Now _out_ so I can lock up behind you.”

Hurrying out the door, Kaneki listened to Touka turn the deadbolt behind him before he left. Thinking about what Touka had said earlier about talking to Hide, Kaneki let his feet carry him on autopilot. Given his preoccupation with Touka’s warning, he really shouldn’t have been surprised when he found himself on Hide’s doorstep rather than his own.

Figuring that there was no time like the present, Kaneki took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of him, willing Hide to be home. The apartment remained quiet for almost a minute, and Kaneki was just about to turn around and head home when he heard a thumping noise and swearing coming from inside. Seconds later the door opened to reveal Hide, grinning at Kaneki just like he always did despite his disheveled appearance.

“Kaneki,” Hide greeted, stepping to the side of the door. “Didn’t expect you to be over so late. Come in.”

“Thank you,” Kaneki said, stepping in and removing his shoes by the door. “Pardon the intrusion.”

“So, can I make you anything?” Hide asked making his way to the kitchen. “I’ve got coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Your pick.”

“Um, just coffee, thanks,” Kaneki replied, standing awkwardly by the kitchen entrance as he watched Hide flit around opening cabinets and pulling out mugs and coffee grinds.

“Black for you, I assume,” Hide said, making a face at Kaneki’s nod. “So bitter, I don’t know how you do it. And have a seat by the counter, you’re making me nervous standing there like that. Haven’t I told you to make yourself comfortable when you come over?”

“Sorry,” Kaneki said, hurrying over to the kitchen bar top and pulling out a stool. It felt odd, sitting and waiting while someone else made him coffee; almost as though he were a customer.

Setting the kettle on the stove to heat up, Hide turned to give Kaneki a look. “Dude, you are way too uptight. Got something on your mind today?”

“Ah,” Kaneki stuttered, flustered at having been called out but not having any idea on how to proceed. If he told Hide straight out about the ghouls Touka would kill him, but if he didn’t how was he supposed to warn Hide to stay away from Anteiku?

“This isn’t about Touka-chan, is it?” Hide asked, peering worriedly over the counter at Kaneki. “Because I swear I do actually know when to quit.”

Maybe, Kaneki thought, he could use this. Maybe if he made this about Touka instead of about ghouls, he could get Hide to listen without having to tell him the whole truth.

“Um, actually,” he said, hand coming up to rub his chin, “today she said it would be better if you stopped coming to the shop. That you’re distracting me too much during work.”

“So if I come in early while you’re not working yet it won’t be a problem,” Hide said brightly. “Got it.”

“ _Hide_ ,” Kaneki whined, frustrated with his friend’s willful misunderstanding. “You know you can’t stay if you don’t buy anything, and we’re not supposed to have customers before we open. Even if we do let you in.”

“Fine, fine. Geez,” Hide said, turning back to the kettle on the stove. “If you don’t want me to come I won’t.”

“It’s not-” Kaneki started then cut himself off. Because even with the rationale of Anteiku being a hotspot for ghouls, that was essentially what he was telling Hide. “It’s not that I don’t want you there; it’s just that I don’t want to lose my job.”

“All right,” Hide said as the kettle boiled, removing the now steaming water from the stove and pouring it into a french press. “But as compensation for loaning out my best friend, I demand at least one coffee date a week.”

“D-date?” Kaneki sputtered, feeling the blood rushing to his cheeks. “Hide-!”

“Not a date-date,” Hide clarified unhelpfully, mixing the grinds into the water before stepping back to let the mixture sit. “A book-date where we go drink coffee and you hide behind the latest Takatsuki Sen novel and pretend not to know me while we talk about your books and school and girls and all the other little things going on in our lives.”

“You mean like the cafe lunches we did on Wednesdays before you had to go to work,” Kaneki said, clarifying that he’d gotten the gist of what Hide meant.

Hide nodded, humming happily as he lifted the spoon out of the French press, tapping it against the glass and setting it in the sink. “Exactly like those,” he said, settling the lid of the press in place and slowly pressing the grinds to the bottom. “Except you actually have to show up. None of this hiding in your apartment business.”

“Okay,” Kaneki conceded, watching Hide pour the coffee into two mugs and taking the offered cup.

Grabbing a spoonful of sugar and adding a little milk to his own cup, Hide walked around the edge of the kitchen bar to stand next to Kaneki. “Couch?” he asked, inclining his head to the more comfortable furnishings behind them.

Kaneki stood, following Hide over to sit on a couch while Hide took up a position opposite him on a battered loveseat. Taking a sip of his coffee, Kaneki noted with some surprise that it had a much stronger flavor than he was usually associated with Hide. Maybe it was the French press? He didn’t remember Hide having one of those the last time he was over. Or maybe it was a different roast.

“Good?” Hide asked, grinning over the top of his cup when Kaneki nodded. “I thought I’d try something a little different this time. I’m glad you like it.”

They lapsed back into silence, Kaneki basking in the presence of pleasant company as he sipped contentedly at his coffee. Hide appeared to be appreciating their quiet camaraderie as well since he let the hush linger over the room longer than usual.

“Not that I mind or anything, but why did you really come here?” Hide asked, finally breaking the silence. “I know it wasn’t for my coffee, and you could have waited until tomorrow to warn me off of coming to Anteiku.”

“Um,” Kaneki said, panicking slightly and hurriedly raising his cup to drink the last of the dregs inside to buy a little more time to think. “I just felt like I should come see you.”

Kaneki winced as the words left his mouth. He didn’t really have a good reason to be bothering Hide this late, and his only saving grace was that _I didn’t want you to get eaten_ wasn’t the first thought that sprang to mind from a late night visit.

“She said something, didn’t she,” Hide said, a frown flickering across his face. “She wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

“Touka-chan?” Kaneki guessed, confused by the sudden turn in the conversation.

“Yeah,” Hide confirmed with a rueful grin. “She knows I have a crush on you.”

Kaneki froze. Of all the things he’d expected Hide to say, that hadn’t even crossed his mind. He might not be the best at reading people, but surely after years of friendship he would have noticed something? And what about Touka? Hide had been flirting shamelessly with her even before the whole mess with Rize.

“I’m pretty sure she figured it out a while ago,” Hide continued, ignoring Kaneki’s deer in the headlights expression. “I thought she wouldn’t say anything but oh well, what can you do, right? Hey, Kaneki. Kaneki?”

Kaneki refocused on the sight of Hide’s hand waving in front of his face. “Don’t go spacing out like that on me,” Hide chided. “I’m getting to old to be having a heart attack every time you check out.”

“I, uh, sorry,” Kaneki said, blushing as Hide shuffled back to sit in his seat.

“No problem,” Hide replied, ever present smile not faltering. “Did you hear anything I said?”

Kaneki startled, his mind finally catching up with the conversation. “Yes,” he said, unsure exactly how he was supposed to respond to the unexpected revelation. “I, yes. I heard.”

Hide sighed, rolling his eyes good naturedly at Kaneki’s verbal flailing. “This is the part where you either say ‘me too!’ and I get a kiss or you turn me down and we pretend this never happened. Or you turn me down and we stop talking and hanging out, but that would be sad so let’s not do that.”

“Let’s not,” Kaneki agreed, then paused to straighten out what he wanted to say. “I mean, I don’t want to stop talking to you.”

“Oh good,” Hide said with a relieved grin. Kaneki felt himself frown in confusion. Surely Hide hadn’t thought Kaneki would cut him out of his life just because of something like this?

“So do you want to try the kissing thing?”

“What?” Kaneki asked, shaken out of his thoughts by Hide’s words.

“Do you want to try the kissing thing,” Hide repeated, leaning forward in his seat.

“I... don’t know?” Kaneki said, giving Hide an absolutely bewildered look.

“Let’s try it then.”

Before Kaneki had time to properly process Hide’s words, let alone react to them, he found himself with a lap full of Hide. A lap full of Hide who was kissing him, just as he said he would. And it really wasn’t all that bad. In fact, it felt rather pleasant.

Hide pulled back, and Kaneki felt his face flush as he tried to find the right words for the situation.

“Not bad, huh,” Hide said, beating him to the punch. “Want to try again?”

The okay had made its way out of Kaneki’s mouth before he really had a chance to think about what he was saying, but when Hide leaned back in for round two, Kaneki couldn’t really find it in himself to object. Hide kissed like he did everything, full of wild energy and unrestrained delight, and Kaneki felt himself being swept away with the intensity of the moment.

A whimper sounded in the room as Hide pulled back again, and it took Kaneki an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize it came from him.

“That was,” Kaneki said, pausing to clear his throat when his voice came out almost an octave higher than usual, “nice.”

“Nice,” Hide repeated indignantly. “Nice, he says. Well, Kaneki, my friend. We are going to have to fix this uninspiring review of my manliness. Unless you object.”

“Um,” Kaneki said, thinking of the way Hide’s lips had felt against his own as he answered. “No. No objections.”

“Excellent,” Hide replied, reaching out to cup Kaneki’s face with his hand.

This time instead of diving in and overwhelming Kaneki Hide chose a softer approach, gently pressing his lips against Kaneki’s as his hand guided them to the perfect angle. His tongue flicked out against Kaneki’s lower lip, asking for entrance which Kaneki granted without thinking. He groaned as Hide gently explored his mouth, noting in some distant part of his mind that although Hide tasted good, the temptation to eat wasn’t as prevalent as he would have thought.

When Hide finally broke the kiss, tugging Kaneki’s bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled away, Kaneki followed after him, not wanting to lose contact. Steering Kaneki with the hand on his cheek, Hide maneuvered them so that their foreheads were resting together as they caught their breath.

“So do I get a better rating than _nice_ this time?” Hide asked, sounding sure of himself.

“Very nice,” Kaneki returned, smiling a little when Hide let out an affronted huff at the words.

“So you’re a hard sell,” Hide said, his hands coming up to undo the tie around Kaneki’s neck. “But I got a ‘very nice.’ I can work with that. May I?”

Kaneki nodded, and Hide got to work unbuttoning his vest and shirt. Watching the concentration on his face as he focused on undoing each button nearly made Kaneki laugh, and he stifled his giggles with his fist.

Hide heard them anyway though.

“This wouldn’t be so hard if you didn’t wear such complicated clothing,” Hide groused, finally undoing the last of the buttons.

“Sorry,” Kaneki replied, sitting up to let Hide push the material over his shoulders. “It’s the uniform.”

Hide let out a put upon sigh. “I know. I would complain more except it looks good on you. I do love a man in uniform.”

“I’m fairly sure that’s supposed to refer to the police or the military, Hide.”

“Shhh,” Hide whispered, pushing Kaneki back to lie flat on the couch. “I’m enjoying the moment.”

Deciding he should just go with it, Kaneki relaxed into Hide’s touch, letting him nuzzle into the his neck and mouth at the sensitive skin there. Kaneki sucked in a shaky breath as Hide moved lower, running his mouth over Kaneki’s collarbone and leaving a trail of kisses down to his naval.

Hands resting on the buckle of Kaneki’s pants, Hide looked up at him in askance. Kaneki flushed uncomfortably, knowing that Hide’s position _had_ to make him aware of his body’s reaction.

Apparently sensing Kaneki’s discomfort, Hide rested his chin on his hands, folding them over Kaneki’s stomach as he made eye contact. “It’s something I’d like to try, but we don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Kaneki realized that this was Hide asking for permission. This was Hide doing what he always did and putting Kaneki’s comfort ahead of his own desires. This was Hide finally going for what he wanted, but still unwilling to take it if it didn’t match what _Kaneki_ wanted.

But honestly, this was just who Hide _was_.

And Kaneki trusted him. If not with the entire truth then at least with this.

“I want to,” Kaneki said, feeling his cheeks burning at the admission. “I... yeah. I want to. With you.”

Hide gave him a dopey grin, eyes shining with something Kaneki didn’t want to think about too deeply. “Tell me if it’s too much, okay?”

“I will,” Kaneki promised. Hide reached out for his hand, the tender expression still on his face as he laced their fingers together and squeezed. They stayed like that for a moment before Hide disentangled them, using both his hands to undo the button and zip of Kaneki’s slacks.

Pulling Kaneki’s cock out of his pants, Hide held it gently in his hand for a moment before leaning down to kiss the tip. Kaneki felt a jolt of arousal spike through him at the touch, his hands flying to his face as he groaned in a mixture of excitement and embarrassment.

Apparently deciding to have faith in Kaneki’s promise to call him off if he went to far, Hide continued kissing his way down Kaneki’s cock without stopping to check on him. The feather light touches followed by short licks made Kaneki shiver, his dick twitching in Hide’s grasp.

When he reached the base, Hide paused to nuzzle in against Kaneki’s stomach, eliciting a laugh.

“H-Hide,” Kaneki gasped between giggles, his hands going down to push on Hide’s head. “Hide that tickles.”

Shaking his head like a dog, Hide did it again and Kaneki laughed as he squirmed in an attempt to get away. When Hide finally stopped, Kaneki found himself smiling down at his friend despite himself.

“There you go,” Hide said, beaming up at Kaneki. “That’s what I like to see.”

Before Kaneki could reply, Hide had ducked back down, fitting the head of Kaneki’s dick into his mouth. Kaneki’s laugh segued into a whine as he collapsed back onto the couch, muscles tensing in an effort to stay still and not thrust down Hide’s throat. Hide must have felt the tension, because he moved his hands run along the crest of Kaneki’s hips.

Which, Kaneki discovered, were not particularly sensitive. He appreciated Hide’s gesture but it really wasn’t doing what Hide wanted it to do.

Hide pulled off with a sigh, vocalizing what they were both thinking. “That’s not working for you, is it?”

“It’s not bad,” Kaneki said immediately, trying to reassure Hide.

“Yeah, thanks,” Hide said blithely and motioned for him to raise his hips. “Let’s get these off, give me something to work with.”

“Um.”

“Well come on,” Hide gestured enthusiastically. “Off they go.”

Obliging, Kaneki raised his hips and let Hide slide his pants and underwear down below his knees before pulling them over his feet one leg at a time. Feeling rather exposed, Kaneki pressed his legs together, tucking his hands in between his thighs as he felt heat rush to his cheeks.

“Hide, would you...” he trailed off, uncertain of the best way to phrase his request.

Thankfully Hide seemed to read his mind, because as soon as he tossed Kaneki’s pants out of the way, he stood up to undo his own. After a glance down to see how Kaneki was doing, Hide’s expression turned fond and he bent down to place a kiss on Kaneki’s forehead.

“It’s not fair if you’re the only one naked, you know,” he said as he slid his pants down. He tried to kick them off, but one of the legs caught on his foot and he ended up hopping in a circle to keep his balance as he made a desperate grab for his pants.

By the time Hide finally caught and removed the offending garment, Kaneki had dissolved into helpless laughter, hands coming up to muffle the sound. Hide pouted at him and Kaneki giggled, his pitch rising at the petulant look on Hide’s face.

“I swear I know how to take off my pants,” Hide said, moving to sit on the floor by the couch where Kaneki was lying.

“I’m sure you do,” Kaneki managed to get out between bursts of laughter, curling to the side to bump his knees gently against the back of Hide’s head.

Hide sighed and turned to rub his cheek into the contact. “At least you’re cute. Are you willing to let me try again?”

Kaneki nodded, adjusting himself on the couch so that Hide would have better access. Hide turned to face him, rotating up onto his knees to give himself a better angle.

“I’ve never done this before,” Kaneki admitted as he bent forward to rest his head against Hide’s. “Please tell me if I do something that hurts?”

“No worries,” Hide replied, tilting his head back to steal a quick kiss. “We’ll figure it out together.”

“Okay.”

Kaneki smiled, sitting back against the couch to give Hide more room to work. Shivering as Hide slid his hands up his thighs, Kaneki felt himself starting to tense again, preparing for the onslaught of sensation that he knew was coming.

Instead, Hide worked his hands up and down Kaneki’s legs, massaging gently until Kaneki felt himself start to relax again. Hide continued until Kaneki felt like putty, sinking back into the cushions with a soft moan.

“So this is what does it for you,” Hide murmured so quietly Kaneki didn’t think he would have heard it if he were human.

Leaning forward, Hide pressed a line of butterfly kisses up Kaneki’s thigh, ending at the base of his cock. Kaneki felt his breath hitch as Hide touched him, trailing his tongue up the underside of the shaft to get to the head. Watching as Hide slowly sank down, testing how much he could take in, it was all Kaneki could do not to thrust up and force him to take it all at once.

Scrabbling for something to hang on to in order to ground himself Kaneki let his hands tangle into Hide’s hair, taking care not to pull him one way or the other as he did. Hide’s eyes flicked up at the touch, and he let out an encouraging moan. Kaneki shuddered and tensed as the vibrations rolled over him, pushing up slightly into Hide’s mouth.

Hide braced his hands on Kaneki’s hips, forcing him back down against the couch. Kaneki went without protest, feeling chagrined at his momentary lapse in control.

“Sorry,” he gasped out, losing his breath in a rush as Hide pushed forward to take more of him into his mouth. His hands tightened in Hide’s hair as he felt himself bump against the back of Hide’s throat.

Hide gagged, pulling back of his own accord before Kaneki could think to move. “Sorry,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I don’t think I can do that yet.”

Kaneki watched speechlessly as Hide wiped his mouth and coughed before settling himself back on the floor. “It’s fine,” Kaneki said belatedly, realizing that he should probably respond.

Bending back in for another try, Hide grinned up at Kaneki as he took him back into his mouth, stopping just as his lips passed the flare at the base of the head. Kaneki whimpered and pushed forward, trying to get more of Hide’s wet heat pressed against him. He could feel Hide’s smirk as he moved with Kaneki, not letting him have the satisfaction he wanted.

“Hide,” Kaneki whined and tried to nudge his head down with the hands buried in his hair.

Hide didn’t reply, too busy torturing Kaneki to form words. Kaneki whimpered as he felt Hide’s tongue start playing with his slit, slouching against the couch in surrender to the fact that Hide was in control.

Apparently satisfied with Kaneki’s concession of power, Hide set to work driving Kaneki crazy. He bobbed up and down, keeping his lips in a tight seal so that they tugged at the sensitive skin every time he pulled up.

Kaneki groaned lightly, tightening his grip in Hide’s hair and enjoying the way his hands traveled with Hide as he moved. Speeding up his rhythm, Kaneki felt Hide remove a hand from his hip and watched it disappear under the couch. Feeling his arousal coiling urgently in his groin, Kaneki tugged gently at Hide’s hair to let him know he was close.

When Hide didn’t respond, Kaneki pulled a little harder. “Hide, I’m going to come,” he breathed out, trying to stave off his orgasm long enough for Hide to decide what he wanted to do.

“I know,” Hide responded, pulling off just long enough to say the words.

The sight of Hide not moving out of the way and _knowing_ what was coming sent Kaneki over the edge.

Looking down at Hide as soon as he felt aware enough to function again, Kaneki noticed the white streaks covering his face.

“Hide, I’m so sorry,” Kaneki stuttered, eyes going wide as he took in the sight before him.

Letting out a breathy laugh Hide leaned against Kaneki’s knee, careful to keep the come from getting on him. “It’s okay,” he said, “I knew what I was doing.”

“You said this was your first time.” Kaneki frowned down at Hide, wanting to reach out and convince himself that Hide was fine but not sure he was welcome.

Hide sighed, sensing Kaneki’s indecision with that sixth sense he usually kept hidden. “Okay, so maybe I didn’t know what I was doing. It’s still fine though. More than fine.”

“Are you sure?” Kaneki pressed, wiping away the congealing liquid from Hide’s cheeks as he spoke. “Can I help?”

Blushing at Kaneki’s last sentence, Hide grinned and held up his own come stained hand. “Nah. Think I got it covered.”

“You-” Kaneki started and then stopped, fully taking in the scene before him and breaking into a grin that became laughter.

“It’s not that funny,” Hide pointed out as he stood and offered his clean hand to Kaneki.

Kaneki took it, letting himself be pulled up. “It’s not that it’s funny,” he explained, still smiling hard enough to make his cheek muscles hurt. “I was worried that you weren’t enjoying it.”

Hide snorted and pulled Kaneki up, gesturing pointlessly with his come covered hand. “Obviously I enjoyed it,” he said, leaning over to give Kaneki a quick peck on the lips. “And now I need to get cleaned up.”

“Ah, okay,” Kaneki said, bending down to pick up their shirts from the floor where Hide had shoved them. “I guess I should get dressed and head out then.”

Hide whirled around. “Head out? _Head out?_ Excuse you, no.” He pointed in the direction of his bedroom. “Head that way.”

“But I have work-”

“Psssht,” Hide made a shooing motion with his hand. “That way.”

Deciding it wasn’t worth the argument, Kaneki went. Once in Hide’s bedroom, he sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed, folding his shirt over his groin and wishing he’d picked up his underwear or pants on his way over.

The water in the bathroom turned off and Hide walked into the room, just as naked as he had been before. Kaneki wasn’t sure _why_ he expected Hide to be dressed it just... seemed like he should be.

“Why aren’t you in bed?” Hide asked like it was a normal question, walking over to the bed and motioning for Kaneki to get off the bed so he could turn down the covers. “You were supposed to be warming it up for me.”

“I don’t think I should stay,” Kaneki tried to explain again, less sure of himself this time. “I have to be at work in the morning-”

“Afternoon.”

“-afternoon and I need to wash my clothes before then.”

“Weak,” Hide proclaimed, climbing into the bed and extending his arms in an invitation for Kaneki to join him. “I have a perfectly serviceable washer; there’s no reason for you to go all the way back to your apartment. Besides, it’s late, I’m tired, you’re tired, and you’d have to walk all the way home before you got to sleep. No shenanigans tonight, I promise.”

“...Okay,” Kaneki allowed at last, letting his shirt and vest fall to the floor as he slipped under the covers next to Hide.

He felt Hide press up against his back, lips curved upwards as he kissed the back of Kaneki’s neck. “Goodnight.”

“’Night, Hide.”

* * *

 

Kaneki didn’t get off to a good start on his next shift at Anteiku.

To start with, he arrived late to the shift change, earning him a dirty look from Touka and a gentle reminder to be on time from Koma. Following that inauspicious start to the afternoon, he proceeded to write down three orders wrong and measure out the incorrect weight of beans twice before the shift was half over.

By the end of the day, Kaneki was more than ready to curl up in a ball at his apartment and never come out.

“Well, I guess you’re getting better,” Touka said grudgingly as she tied off the trash and hauled it out of the waste bin. “And it seems like you took care of your other problem too.”

“My other problem?” Kaneki asked as he took the bag from her, wondering what else he might have messed up today.

“Your friend,” Touka clarified, tapping her nose. “Even if he comes back everyone will know he’s off limits. You didn’t do a very good job washing off his scent.”

Kaneki froze, then felt himself go beet red as he stared at her in horror. He may have been late because Hide intruded on his shower time when he was getting ready for work, but he’d been in the shower. Even with a ghoul’s sense of smell she shouldn’t be able to tell if anything as different about him. Right?

_Right?_

Touka smirked. “Don’t forget that goes in the left dumpster.” She sauntered off to do the last sweep of the restaurant, leaving Kaneki standing dumbfounded by the empty trash can.

_“That’s_ what you meant by taking care of it?” Kaneki asked when she came back, still holding the trash bag.

“Well that was one way,” Touka allowed, pushing him toward the door. “You’re welcome.”

Shaken out of his reverie Kaneki got his feet back under him and started to walk on his own. As soon as he was out the door Touka pointed around the corner of the shop to remind him about the trash.

“Or you can take it home with you, I don’t care. Goodnight.” And with that, she shut the door behind him, sliding the deadbolt home and locking up for the night.

Kaneki hefted the bag and walked around to the back, tossing it in the bin and dusting his hands off on his apron. Figuring that having that dropped on him meant he could have a little leeway in his decision making tonight, Kaneki pulled out his phone and called Hide.

“Hey Kaneki,” Hide greeted, not waiting for Kaneki to speak first. “How was work?”

“Interesting.” Kaneki kept his voice neutral.

“That good huh?” Hide asked with a laugh. “Want to come over?”

“Please?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hide replied. “See you in ten?”

“I’ll be there. See you soon.” Kaneki hung up, sliding the phone back into his pocket and heading toward Hide’s apartment.

Yeah, it sounded like a good plan. 


End file.
